Registration device for fabric pieces

ABSTRACT

THIS DISCLOSURE RELATES TO A REGISTRATION DEVICE FOR SUCCESSIVELY PLACING PIECES OF FABRIC IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION AGAINST RETRACTIBLE STOPS BY MEANS OF PULSATING JETS OF AIR BLOWN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE STOPS SO AS TO REGISTER THE PIECE.

United States Patent Inventors Leigh D. Leiter Pompton Plains;

Richard J. Redpath, Franklin Lakes, NJ. 827,826

May 26, 1969 June 28, I971 The Singer Company New York, N.Y.

Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee REGISTRATION DEVICE FOR FABRIC PIECES 2 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 271/58, 271/74 Int. Cl B65h 9/04 FieIdofSearch 27l/58,59, 60, 48, 61, 74

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 78,130 5/1868 Richards 271/58 98,253 12/1869 Gray et al. 271/58 2,787,951 4/1957 Shipley et al. 27 I/60X 3,336,026 8/1967 Preuss 271/60X 3,342,480 9/1967 Camerini 271/58 Primary Examiner-Joseph Wegbreit ArtomeysMarshall J. Breen, Chester A. Williams, Jr. and

Harold Weinstein ABSTRACT: This disclosure relates to a registration device for successively placing pieces of fabric in a predetermined position against retractible stops by means of pulsating jets of air blown in the direction of the stops so as to register the piece.

PATENTED JUN28197| 3588.096

SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTORS Leigh D. Leiter BY Richard J. Redpoth ATTORNE Y REGISTRATION DEVICE FOR FABRIC PIECES BACKGIIOUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore, registration devices have used fixed stops which interfere with the removal of the registered piece or have motive means positioned above the support surface along which the piece is translated or otherwise have required a manual step in the registration procedure.

Summary of the Invention In accordance with the present invention, the novel registration device is provided for successively placing pieces of fabric in a predetermined position. The registration device comprises a frame having a support surface and a plurality of slot means transversely extending through the support surface to intersect the registration position. A plurality of stop means are pivotally mounted on the underside of the support surface in alignment with the plurality of slot means. Actuating means are connected to the stop means retractibly to selectively position the stop means above or below the support surface. A plurality of nozzle means are disposed in the support surface upstream from the slot means. Means connect the nozzle means to a source of pulsating pressure air which act to translate the pieces in the direction of the stop means, whereby on the stop means being placed in the raised position the pieces will come to rest thereagainst.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved registration device which avoids the prior art disadvantages; which is automatically operated; which is simple, economical and reliable; which includes nozzles to provide a pulsating motive force to translate the pieces; which includes retractible stops against which the translated piece comes to rest in registered position; which includes slotted means in both the support surface and stop means to allow adjustment of the stop means of the stop means as desired; which includes slot means that provide exhaust vents for the pulsating air; which uses stop means that prevent dislocation or climbing of the edge of a registered piece; which uses nozzle means to effect a pulsated translation of the piece in an alternate X direction and Y direction; and which provides a flat surface for translation of the piece into a registered position for subsequent removal of the same.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a top plan view of the novel registration device;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a enlarged sectional view of the stop means shown in FIG. 2 with the stop means shown retracted in full line view, and raised in phantom line view;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 through are a schematic representation of the operation of the registration device wherein: FIG. 5 shows the piece being brought to the support surface; FIG. 6 shows the misaligned piece disposed upon the support surface; FIG. 7 shows the stop means in raised position and the nozzle operative to translate the piece in the direction of the stop means; FIG. 8 shows the piece in registered position with the stop means raised and the air nozzles still operative; FIG. 9 shows the piece in registered position with the nozzles inactive and the stop means retracted; and FIG. 10 shows the piece being removed from the support surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the novel registration device, designated generally as 20, is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The device is mounted on a frame 22 to which a supporting surface 24 of low friction characteristics is connected. The support surface 24 has a front edge 26 adjacent to which is a slotted section 28 having slots 29 extending perpendicular to the front edge in a generally designated X direction. A

slotted section 30 is formed adjacent the side edge 32 and has slots 31 thereof formed substantially parallel to the front edge 26 in a generally designated Y direction. The slotted section 30 is upstream of the slotted section 28, with the front edge 26 considered to be downstream thereof. The slots may be formed as cutouts in the support surface 24 or by placing a plurality of parallel rods 34 in equidistantly spaced recesses 36 of the frame 22.

A retractible stop assembly 38 is pivotally mounted as at 40 to the frame 22 under each of the slotted sections 28 and 30. Each of the stop assemblies 38 include a carriage 42 having spaced arms 44 to which a plate 46 is connected. The plates 46 have a plurality of slots 48 formed in alignment with the slots 29 and 31, respectively of the support surface 24. Stop pins or bolts 50 are connected in the slots 48 by a nut 52 and washers $4 sandwiched on either side of plate 46. The stop pin 50 may be connected within the slot 48 to correspond to any desired pattern. An air cylinder 56 is pivotally connected to the frame at its lower end as at 58, and at its upper end to the arm 44 of the carriage 42 as at 60. Operation of the air cylinder 56 will cause thecarriage 42 to be raised to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or retracted to the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. An air cylinder 56 is mounted to each of the arms 44 and as shown in FIG. 4 will receive pressure air from a suitable source (not shown) through a line 62 having branches 64 and 66. The arm 44 has a projection 68 at the front end thereof which is raised position of carriage 42 engages a frame abutment 70 to set the carriage 42 in the horizontal plane so that the stop pins 50 extend in a vertical plane. A pair of limit switches 72 and 74 are connected to the frame adjacent the path of travel of one of the projections 68 whereby in the retracted position the actuating finger 76 of limit switch 74 is engaged by projection 68, while in the raised position, the projection 68 engages the actuating finger 78 of limit switch 72. The limit switches 72 and 74 are part of the electrical control circuit (not shown) which is utilized to control the operation of the pneumatic circuit (not shown) so as to actuate the registration device 20 in a manner to be described hereinafter.

The support surface 24 has a nozzle section 80 in which a plurality of nozzle assemblies 82 have been disposed in countersunk wells 84 so as to lie within the flat horizontal plane of the support surface 24. Each of the nozzle assemblies 82 is connected within the wells 84 by a pair of spaced screw members 86 threadedly engaging a transverse strap 87 which extends across the well 84 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Air lines 88 are connected to each of the nozzle assemblies 82 to deliver air thereto in a pulsated alternate fashion from a suitable source (not shown) corresponding to the direction in which the nozzle outlet indicated generally as 90 and 90,, is facing, with x indicating a nozzle outlet facing in the X direction and Y indicating a nozzle substantially in the Y direction which the present instance has a small component of X direction so as to facilitate obtaining the registration position. The nozzle and nozzle assemblies 82 may be of the general type shown and described in US. Pat. No. 3,268,222, granted Aug. 3, I966.

It will be understood that the nozzle assemblies 82 will be connected through the X" and Y" sets of lines 88 to a suitable pneumatic control circuit (not shown) which will act alternately to deliver the air in pulsated blasts in the X direction to the nozzle outlets 90,, and in the Y direction to the nozzle outlets 90,,, at a desired pressure for predetermined periods of time which for mostfabrics will be from less than one second to more than 10 seconds depending on the fabric to be registered. The alternately pulsated blasts of air will be timed to operate during those periods when the stop assembly 38 is in the raised position with the stop pins 50 in the position above the support surface 24.

In certain applications, it will be desirable to balance the translation in order 'to obtain the registration position at each of the slotted sections 28 and 30 about the same time. This may be accomplished in various ways, as for example by varying the pressure discharged form the respective nozzle outlets 9tll and 90 or setting the nozzle outlet at an inclined with respect to the X or Y direction as was done with outlets 90,.

The operation of the registration device 20 is depicted in step fashion in FIGS. through 10. Accordingly, FIG. 5 shows a fabric piece 100 being conveyed by a vacuum head 102. The registration device is in an inactive condition in that no air is being supplied to the nozzle assemblies 82 and the stop assemblies 38 are in the retracted position.

The vacuum head 102 will deliver the fabric piece 100 to a position extending over at least some of the nozzle assemblies 82, as is illustrated in FIG. 6 to insure proper translation thereof. Upon reaching this point, the vacuum head 102 will be disengaged from the fabric piece and return to its starting position. The fabric piece 100 is disposed on the support surface 24 with the leading edge 104 facing downstream.

ln timed sequence with the withdrawal of the vacuum head 102 and as illustrated in FIG. 7 the stop pins of the stop assemblies 38 will be raised to vertically extend through the slots 29 and 31 of the slotted sections 28 and 30 respectively. Since the shape of the fabric piece 100 to be registered is known it is a simple matter to adjust the stop pins 50 in a pattern corresponding to the edges which will contact the same. Accordingly, the stop pins adjacent the front edge 26 are placed in a curve matching that of the leading edge 104, while the stop pins 50 adjacent the side edge 32 are located in a straight line substantially perpendicular to the leading edge 26 corresponding to the straight side edge of the fabric piece 100 which will be aligned thereagainst. Of course, other fabric pieces to be registered can be differently shaped or have their edges formed at an angular relationship other than that shown. ln that event, the stop pins 50 would be suitably adjusted within the stop assembly 38 or in extreme cases, the configuration of the support surface 24 could be suitably modified to obtain the desired registration for the fabric in question, within the contemplated scope of the present invention. With the stop assemblies 38 in the raised position the nozzle assemblies 82 will be actuated alternately to deliver pulsated blasts of air in the X direction and Y direction through the respective nozzle outlets 90, and 90 The alternate pulsated blasts of air affect translation of the fabric piece 100 and cause the same to move in a general downstream direction toward the leading edge 26. By alternately delivering the air first in the X direction and then in the Y direction, the fabric piece 100 is continuously shifted in a manner which prevents it being caught or locked in a position other than that of registration.

The pulsated blast of air are timed so as to last long enough to insure that proper registration position of the fabric piece 100 has been obtained before it is automatically shutoff. In FIG. 8 the fabric piece 100 is shown in registration position with the stop assemblies 38 in the raised position and the nozzle assemblies 82 still operative. The period that the nozzle assemblies 82 are operative is sufficiently long to avoid premature shutoff which would result in a not obtaining registration position. In any event, once registration has been obtained and ling of the fabric piece 100. Prior to retracting the stop assemblies 38, the air blasts from the nozzle assemblies 82 ceases, with the fabric piece in registered position as illustrated in FIG. 9. A suitable removable means, such as a vacuum head 106 will engage the registered fabric piece 100. Since the stop pins 50 of the stop assemblies38 have been retracted there will be no interference or possibility of misaligning the registered fabric piece 100 upon removal of the same from the flat horizontal support surface 24. FIG. 10 shows the fabric piece 100 being removed from the support surface 24 after completion of the registration thereof and sets the stage for repeating the cycle.

It will be understood that various changes in the details,

materials, arrangements of parts and operating conditions which have been herein described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principles and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A registration device successively to place pieces of fabric in a predetermined position comprising:

a. a frame,

b. a support surface atop the frame,

c. a plurality of slot means formed in the support surface in two rows substantially perpendicular to each other,

(I. a plurality of stop means mounted in the operative association with the support surface,

e. the stop means including a pair of stop carriers pivotally mounted beneath each of the rows of slot means,

f. a plurality of stop pins affixed to each of the stop carriers in alignment with the slot means whereby on raising of the stop carriers, the stop pins will extend through said slot means,

g. the stop pins define a predetermined pattern for the pieces to contact upon coming to the registration position,

h. actuating means connected to the stop means retractably to selectively position the stop means above or below the support surface,

i. a plurality of nozzle means mounted in the support surface to form two rows of nozzle means, one row of nozzle means disposed inwardly of one of the rows of slot means and the other row of nozzle means disposed inwardly of the other of the rows of slot means, and

j each row of nozzle means separately connected to a source of pressure air, alternately operative, successively to translate the piece in the direction of one of the rows of slot means and then in direction of the other of the rows of slot means, whereby said piece is brought into the registration position.

The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein:

a. exhaust means in communication with the slot means to permit the pressure air from the nozzle means to be discharged therein. 

